Overview of the Rebuild America Program in Texas

Abstract

The Rebuild America program is a multi-year program, through the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE), that will increase investment in energy efficiency. As the program progresses, it will save energy, create jobs, and improve the environment. The Brazos Valley Energy Conservation Coalition (BVECC), administered by the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) of Texas A&M University, in College Station, Texas received notification of the US. Department of Energy (USDOE)-Rebuild America award in June, 1996. In the first year of this partnership, the BVECC has developed three Rebuild America related projects in Texas totaling more than $3 million in construction costs. The energy conservation retrofits in the three projects include a lighting upgrade, HVAC systems modifications, and an EMCS upgrade/installation. These projects have been financed through internal facility funding or through third party financing institutes. The average payback period of the retrofit projects is eight years. This paper presents an overview of the BVECC Rebuild America program in Texas. It also describes the energy conservation projects in three facilities in Texas where energy conservation retrofits are being implemented.